Tortoises: A Beginner's Guide to Tortoise Care

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Duméril, André Marie Constant and Bibron, Gab riel. 1834. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Tome Premier. Paris: Roret, 439 pp. Lessons of a Turtle–Go with the slow! Life is about enjoying what’s around you now and finding your own path. It’s about the beauty of the journey more than the achievement of the finish line. So be like the turtle . . . notice, savor, bask, risk, grow. Broderip, William John (1852). Leaves from the Note Book of a Naturalist. E. Littell & Company. p. 83 (left column). In the beginning of November he opened the skull of a land-tortoise, removed every particle of brain, and cleaned the cavity out... instead of dying or remaining motionless, it groped its way about....

A Loud Winter’s Nap–For Tortoise, winter is good for one thing: a nice long nap. Can friends open his eyes to a season full of surprises? Auffenberg, Walter (1977-02-01). "Display Behavior in Tortoises". American Zoologist. 17 (1): 241–250. doi: 10.1093/icb/17.1.241. ISSN 0003-1569.Most species of tortoises lay small clutch sizes, seldom exceeding 20 eggs, and many species have clutch sizes of only 1–2 eggs. Incubation is characteristically long in most species, the average incubation period are between 100 and 160.0 days. Egg-laying typically occurs at night, after which the mother tortoise covers her clutch with sand, soil, and organic material. The eggs are left unattended, and depending on the species, take from 60 to 120 days to incubate. [11] The size of the egg depends on the size of the mother and can be estimated by examining the width of the cloacal opening between the carapace and plastron. The plastron of a female tortoise often has a noticeable V-shaped notch below the tail which facilitates passing the eggs. Upon completion of the incubation period, a fully formed hatchling uses an egg tooth to break out of its shell. It digs to the surface of the nest and begins a life of survival on its own. They are hatched with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of nutrition for the first three to seven days until they have the strength and mobility to find food. Juvenile tortoises often require a different balance of nutrients than adults, so may eat foods which a more mature tortoise would not. For example, the young of a strictly herbivorous species commonly will consume worms or insect larvae for additional protein. [12] Le M, Raxworthy CJ, McCord WP, Mertz L (August 2006). "A molecular phylogeny of tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 40 (2): 517–31. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.03.003. PMID 16678445. If you happen to have a pond or lake near you, but sure to visit these science & water activities for a day at the pond (there’s a FREE printable list for you too!) Yertle the Turtle– In this hilarious book, featuring three timeless fables, Dr. Seuss explores the pitfalls of growing too big for your boots!

Chambers, Paul (2004). A Sheltered Life: The Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-6528-1.When we take our evening walks through the neighborhood, we often see various animals — other dogs, squirrels, deer, sometimes a wild turkey and believe it or not — one very large turtle! Tilly the Turtle– Tilly the Turtle is the happiest turtle in the world. Do you want to know why? This is an excellent read for beginning and early readers.